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Hourglass - Ambient Lighting Edit in Surreal Light

13 December 2016

Keeping with tradition, Hourglass has released another Ambient Lighting Palette for the Holiday season, this time it's the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit in Surreal Light.

There is no denying that this palette is a bit of a wonder to look at, the pretty marble finish is very fitting, it was a wildly popular finsih for just about anything beauty or household decor related in 2016 and their blushes and bronzers have a colourful marble effect in the pans. The packaging is plastic, has a fair amount of weight to it with a sturdy snap closure and a decent sized mirror.

This palette has been marketed as a 'nude' palette which is what drew me to it, we have stepped in to Summer here in Australia and I like to wear more 'natural' looking makeup, pair that with the fact that the packaging is pretty and I like Hourglass Ambient Lighting products and suddenly I'm $116.00 poorer and have a teeny tiny, but very pretty, new face palette in my collection.

When we look at value of the palette it's really not looking good:

Product

Price Per Gram in Full Size Item

Value of Product in Palette

Finishing Powder

$6.70

4g = $26.80

Blush

$13.09

1.4g (x2) = $36.65

Strobe Powder

$11.95

1.4g = $16.73

Bronzer

$6.54

1.4g = $9.15

Total - $89.33

That means we are paying over $26.00 for plastic faux marble packaging, I have no doubt that the packaging was expensive to manufacture but personally, the value irks me.

Hourglass haven't let us down with formula though, if you're familiar with the Ambient Lighting range then you won't have any nasty surprises, everything is just as it is in the full size pans.

Another upside to the palette is that all of the shades are exclusive and new, however, that's not to say Hourglass won't release some of them in singles during 2017.

Finishing Powder in Surreal Light - Light, neutral skin tone, honestly the first Ambient Lighting Powder that I would consider usable for me in winter, the singles in the line are either too dark, too purple or stark white and I have to be careful with placement, I think this would make a great addition to their permanent range because it requires less thought when applying it and can be dusted over areas that you want more glow without concern.

Blush in Surreal Glow - Stunning dusty peach shade, I'm living for this blush at the moment and so happy to have it in my collection.

Blush in Surreal Effect - This blush is much brighter in colour and has surprisingly punchy pigmentation, if you like bright pink blushes you'll likely be a fan of this but I personally find it difficult to wear.Bronzer in Surreal Bronze Light - Gorgeous bronzing shade but reflects a lot of light, when you pair a large forehead with light particles and a buffing motion you end up with glowing spotlights, I've been enjoying using this around my face, down my neck and on to my collarbones.

Strobe Powder in Surreal Strobe Light - A gorgeous, subtle golden glow, when paired with the finishing powder and blush in Surreal Glow you have a recipe for makeup perfection!

Overall I like the palette, it has it's draw backs for me but they are very personal things, if my forehead wasn't so big and I liked bright pink blush there wouldn't be any issues with the powders themselves, however I still enjoy it enough to continue experimenting with the shades to find ways for them to work for me so I can't poo poo it. The value does turn me off though, it's hard for me to recommend something like this confidently when the value isn't awesome because I know many people won't necessarily use every shade in the palette which means you're not getting your moneys worth. I guess the bottom line is; if you like all the shades, can and will use them and can afford the palette, then you won't be disappointed.

What do you think of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit in Surreal Light?

Links provided are for shopping examples only, I have personally purchased from some (not all) of these online stores but I highly recommend researching before buying. Items marked * were sent to me for trial and consideration, all other products were purchased by myself and I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies mentioned unless otherwise stated. All opinions are my own and based on my personal experience. Integrity Always..